The Thing

So, here’s some last-minute, very breaking, very sad news: We learned only a couple hours ago that The Cellar Door will be unable to host music for The Thing on Saturday. Scheduled for The Cellar Door was our jazz slate (always some of the best stuff you’ll find all day), and that was going to feature Darryl Brenzel and Jeff Cosgrove, the latter of whom you can find with his trio above in a previous “Frederick One Take.” Sadly, because of the late notice, we are unable to find a replacement venue, so for the first time in its long three-year history, The Thing will not have a jazz music venue. Still, the show must go on (rain or shine; gray or blue), and despite the very honest sadness that comes along with losing a venue, we still have six other venues that will host music on Saturday and you can find all the artists and all the set times in our post earlier today. It promises to be an awfully fun day filled with some of the best music this fine city has to offer, and if you miss it, you’ll be missing out. Outside of The Thing, you’ll have Chris Smaha tonight, you’ll have Marzy Maddox Friday night (before they hit the Eagles stage for The Thing on Saturday), you’ll have some open mics, you’ll have Stephanie Quayle, you’ll have Rain, you’ll have NoXit, and you’ll have Ginada Pinata, who will be funk-rocking Cafe Nola Saturday night after The Thing concludes. If, God willing, there will be a Thing 4, we’ll need to see you on Saturday. So … see you Saturday, right? … Right?!

We are less than 48 hours away from the third installment of The Thing. The excitement, as you can see, is overwhelming. The fun kicks off at noon at The Cellar Door and will conclude with a concert along Carroll Creek. That concert will feature Hard Swimmin’ Fish, Michelle Hannan & One Blue Night, Samuel Powers, Cheshi and Scott Ambush (above).

Now, you’re probably wondering: When, exactly, can I see all these fabulous bands on this fabulous day? Boy, what a good question, that is. In fact, it’s such a good question, it has inspired this very post. Behold the set times for all the acts you’ll see on Saturday. Remember: If you get to all seven venues, you’ll receive a t-shirt, a Frederick One Take CD and a pint glass.

The Thing 3 (or The Thing 2018, or The Thing That Never Stops, or Wow, Can You Believe The Thing Is Happening Again?) is all set. The date, as we noted before, is Saturday, Oct. 6. This year, we are partnering with the Downtown Frederick Partnership and the main stage festivities will beheld at the Carroll Creek Amphitheater.

Also new this year? The more venues you attend, the more prizes you get! Indeed, we will have incentives for those who attend multiple shows. It involves a CD, a shirt and a pint glass, among other things. You can find out all that information here. Some call it a “scavenger hunt.” We call it “fun.”

Now, you’re probably wondering who is playing where by now, aren’t you? Well, such is why we’re here. We received a ton of submissions — more than ever! — and are now happy to bring you the lineup for the day. The specific set times for each act will come at a later date, but for now, we at least wanted to alert you of who will be where. The lineup is subject to change, of course, and there may or may not be an artist or two added between now and Oct. 6

Finally, tickets, we are also contractually obligated to remind you, are on sale now. You can find them here.

Come one, come all. For the third-straight year, The Thing is planning to take over downtown Frederick. That’s right — Frederick’s all-local music festival, spread out over one day at various venues around the city, is back and this year, the main stage concert will be held at the Carroll Creek Amphitheater in conjunction with the Downtown Frederick Partnership.

So, we know what you’re thinking. First, when is it? And secondly, how can my band play it? Glad you asked.

The date for this year’s Thing is Saturday, Oct. 6. And should you be in a band — or, for that matter, if you just like playing a little music every now and then by yourself — and you would like to perform at this year’s installment of The Thing, contact Colin McGuire at cmcguire@newspost.com.

The deadline for artist submissions is Friday, Aug. 31.

Want to play The Thing? Here’s how was last modified: July 18th, 2018 by Colin McGuire

Well, it’s all over but the crying. Nothing more to do but set up some stages, plug in some cords and play some music. The Thing is Saturday and we can’t stress how much we hope you come out. We are 99.9999999 percent sure that it will be the final-ever concert at 200 East, which marks the end of a very particular moment in time for at least some of us. Rozwell Kid, whose video for “Unmacho” is seen above, will headline that very venue. Also: Please try to head around town to support these great local musicians who will be spread throughout the city. They deserve your attention (times a million) and the hope is that maybe you fall in love with a band or two you had never previously heard of and the next time you see its name pop up in the future, you check them out, wherever that might be. Tickets are still available. We’d love to see faces we haven’t seen in a long time come back out to send this tiny pop-up concert space off in fashion. A lot of memories. A lot of sweat. A lot of stuff. Take note of some last minute changes in schedule, friends. Come rock. Come roll. Be good.

Here’s the thing about The Thing: It’s Saturday. And headlining the second installment of The Thing will be the fine lads in Rozwell Kid. They were among the first bands to play 200 East back when its doors opened for concerts in 2015. Now? Well, now, they are gigantically gigantic and we are beyond pumped to host them before they start selling out stadiums. We caught up with the band’s leader, Jordan Hudkins, to talk about that first time his band played 200 East, who he would take in his “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” fantasy draft and the brand new record they are getting ready to release next month.

You guys were one of the first artists to play the 200 East venue in Frederick and now you’re going to be one of the last. Do you have any memories of the first time you played it, almost two years ago? If so, what are they?

I remember the show was sick and the venue is really really cool. I got to see Old Indian’s practice spot, and Corey (from Old Indian) gave us a little tour of the building, explaining the history. It was really interesting to hear about the spot’s past, but even more exciting to see if being transformed into a space for live music and the arts. Also, I was playing with a bouncy ball behind the stage, and accidentally bounced it off the floor and hit a tiny glowing light bulb on the wall and turned it off. It was a one in a million shot that I couldn’t do again if I tried for 100 years. I hope that lightbulb wasn’t important?

A lot has happened since you played last in Frederick. You signed to SideOneDummy. How did that relationship come about and how has it been working with the label?

Jamie (S1D’s publicist) heard one of our songs and checked us out at The Fest in 2014, then came to our LA show later on that tour. We struck up a conversation and were invited to the label office the next time we came to the west coast. From then on, we would always hang out with people from the SideOne team whenever we got the chance because they are the BEST people. They expressed interest in working with us, and it just made sense. The experience has been nothing short of phenomenal. We feel so supported and encouraged by the team, and their enthusiasm and dedication to what we do pushes us to work even harder.

You have a new record coming out next month. How did the recording process go and how do you think this record stands up to your other work?

We recorded for two weeks in Nashville, TN, which is the longest amount of time we’ve ever had to record. As a result, I think we came out of the session with a record that is more cohesive and flows better than anything we’ve released in the past. I think it plays like an actual “album” rather than just a collection of 10 or so songs. We were also afforded the time to be a little more experimental with sounds and tones and push ourselves structurally.

What’s your favorite song on the upcoming record and why?

Probably either “MadTV” because it’s so different from anything we’ve done, or “Michael Keaton” because it was a work in progress for 3.5 years that we finally finished and I’m very proud of it.

You guys have been to a ton of places – where’s your favorite city/venue to play and why?

Every city has it’s charm and hidden (or not so hidden) gems, but some that stick out in my mind:

Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA: The size/decor/vibe of this venue is perfect. Plus they made us some really great chili.

Saturn, Birmingham, AL: This venue/coffeehouse/chill-zone is a venue built by bands who have toured. The venue itself has a cool mid-century modern/sci-fi vibe. The green room is a big loft above the venue that feels like your coolest best friend’s apartment, and they have postcards that you can fill out for family/loved ones/anyone you’re missing, and the venue will mail them for you!

123 Pleasant St, Morgantown, WV: We’ve played 123 so many times in our “career” as a band, it feels like a home away from home, and even after getting the chance to travel the world, it’s still one of my favorite venues in the world.

The Triffid, Brisbane, AUS: This venue is massive and looks like an old airplane hangar. It’s sick.

What do you think is the most perfect song ever written and why?

“You Gave Your Love To Me Softly” by Weezer. There isn’t a wasted moment in this song. It kicks off with a killer chorus, every melody is incredible, the energy is high, the guitar solo is hooky with just enough wankery peppered in, and all of this happens and makes sense in 2 minutes.

Who are you listening to the most these days?

Podcasts. I listen to a lot of podcasts. “How I Built This.” “WTF.” “Everything’s Coming Up Simpsons.” “Going Off Track.” Musically, I have been listening to a lot of Alex G, Charly Bliss, Andy Shauf, as well as the same music I’ve been constantly spinning for the past 10 years.

Who are some some bands we might not have heard of that we should check out?

Just in case you haven’t checked The Thing’s website recently, we thought we’d try and do you a solid (whatever that means) by posting the schedule for The Thing right here on this very website. Why? Because we love you. That’s why. And, well, also because some things have changed since we last checked in about this (so sad to see Attaboy have to drop off the bill!). So, that’s why, too.

Anyway, remember: A wristband gets you in everywhere or you can pay $5 to hop on into any venue you choose. Except for 200 East, where the price tag will be $10, because, hell, man. Rozwell Kid is playing. Need we say more?

Also of note: New to this year as well will be … a free venue! That’s right. The lovely people at The Record Exchange have agreed to host music (more specifically, the fantastic Dirty Middle) from 3-4 p.m. and the price to get into that place will be … zero dollars! The best price of them all, you know. Zero. Dollars.

But enough rambling. Check out the up-to-the-minute set times for each venue:

… Well, it’s Rozwell Kid! And, yes, indeed, this warrants its own post. Now, to the latest single from the band, who is releasing their new album, “Precious Art,” June 23:

Now, this is a bit special for us because, if you remember, these guys were part of the first-ever show at 200 East. And now, it appears that … well, it appears that there’s an awfully good chance this will likely be the final-ever show at 200 East. Plus, hey: These dudes are great.

Well, all right, then. Remember The Thing? You know: Old Indian’s final show capped it all off last year at 200 East that night. We had seven venues. A little less than 30 bands. This happened:

So, as you can see, it’s back. And it’s more than doubled in size. And now we have to take the damn thing outside the 200 East Art Haus and into the parking lot – not unlike we did with the first (and sadly, to this date, only) Frederick Fall Festival. We’ve been holding out long and hard to try and grab someone from far away to come headline the thing (see what we did there?!?), but unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s going to work out.

But that’s OK. Because, you see, this was initially designed to help promote Frederick’s thriving music scene in the first place. So, hell. Where else could you get more than 60 bands at more than 15 venues on a Saturday in May ’round these parts? It’ll be fun. Fun-ner than fun. Promise.

That said, we’ve been salivating at the salivates to reveal some details about the event, and that’s what this post is about. First, the date, in case you haven’t already heard, is set for Saturday, May 20. Tickets are currently on sale, and it’s a hell of a deal – remember, the prices go up once May comes around, and we want to make sure you can save all the money you can in anticipation of this.

Now, before we reveal the bands for each venue, we must note: All venue lineups and time slots will always be subject to change. We’re still more than six weeks away from this thing (again – see what we did there?!?!), and we’re sure something(s) will pop up as we march toward May 20. For instance, the fine people in Joy On Fire only recently told us they won’t be able to make it, and that makes us sad. Hashtag. Sad.

The specific times will be announced in the next couple weeks – and of course more details are yet to come – but for now, check out who we have where, and get ready to rawk and rawll:

I’m getting increasingly bad at a lot of things (thinking, living, thinking some more), though one of those things is figuring out quite what to say whenever I am called upon to go on a stage to introduce a band. Words have been consistently escaping me anyway over the last couple years, but especially anymore, at the end of these events, it kind of feels like there were approximately 5,000,000 things that I forgot to say and/or should have said. So, by the time midnight on Saturday came around, I thought, “Well, at least I can try to make up for this on Playlist.” I’m sure I’ll fail, but … hell.

Anyway, thank you. No, but really. Thank you.

A big sloppy, sweaty kissing hug of thank you goes to Old Indian for being gracious enough to close out the first installment of an idea that could have very easily fell apart about 48,000 times. When we did the very first thing we ever tried to do – the initial installment of the Frederick Music Showcase – in February of 2015, I went to them and essentially said, “If you aren’t going to do this, then we won’t even bother, because I feel it’s essential to have you guys be part of this.” And, being the fine young men that they are, they obliged. Having them play their final show at that building was an honor for all of us, and we are eternally grateful for all they’ve given not just us, but also the Frederick music community as a whole. They’ve been a rock in this town’s music scene for years and they deserved every inch of love and respect and admiration that they received Saturday night from all you lovely faces.

Another big sloppy, sweating kissing hug of thank you goes to the six other venues that decided to give this idea a chance. First-year things are always tough to believe in, and you’ve gotta believe me when I say that the amount of the word “No” we heard in the months leading up to the event’s announcement is an amount of something that, were it worth its weight in gold, we would all be trillionaires. But, alas, The Cellar Door, The Blue Side, Cafe 611, Cafe Nola, Olde Towne Tavern and Gravel & Grind? The people who make the decisions at those places are gosh-darn saints, gosh-darn-it. We can only hope that we didn’t make them feel like they completely wasted an afternoon by allowing us to put some music in their fine establishments, and we can only hope that should, by the grace of God, there be a The Thing Volume 2, maybe some of them would be happy to sign up once again. It takes guts to believe in something in its infancy. Those places need to be lauded – and I mean lauded – for their support.

Equally as deserving? The artists, of course. Nobody really wants to play an afternoon set on a lovely June afternoon inside a bar, especially when they aren’t even sure if anyone will show up to see them play on said lovely June afternoon inside a bar. Sound systems. Venue policies. Egos. Communication. The amount of things that can go wrong from an artist’s point of view when it comes to these kind of events is nearly endless. To think that almost 30 acts were kind enough to get behind our tiny idea is both extraordinarily humbling and intensely encouraging. We just hope that it was worth their while, even if it was on some tiny level.

And then we’d be remiss if we didn’t offer up gratitude to some local businesses who helped out far more than words can explain. Somehow, someway, Goldwater Bank offered to help chip in, which, in all honesty, is just slightly mind-blowing. I mean, we can hardly get food vendors to care sometimes and here comes a bank who believed in it enough to offer support (though, unfortunately, “support” does not necessarily translate into “large blocks of gold” in this instance, and that would have been cool). Anthony Owens, who has been a supporter of all this nonsense since day one – we’ll never, ever, ever be able to thank him enough for all he’s helped out with. And also Showtime Sound, which is just filled with dudes who I personally love. That’s a company that goes out on national tours, yet whenever we have a date for an event, they always manage to show up with lights and sound equipment and each time, I’m mildly amazed that they’re actually there and they haven’t yet run for the hills. Oh, and we can’t forget Spotluck, either. Because, wow. They’re the best.

Finally – and there’s no way anybody is still reading at this point, I know – I have to say the following: You can’t even think about trying to put on an event like this if you don’t have a whole bunch of people who are great. The sheer manpower that’s needed to run and organize it is intimidating in and of itself. But a lot of the staff here at the Frederick News-Post gave up a portion of their Saturday to help take care of things and they, really, deserve way more credit than most may realize. It would also be irresponsible to ignore how important it was – and is – that the upper management at this company gave all this stuff a green light in the first place. I don’t know much, but I’d be willing to guess that there aren’t a lot of places ’round here where you can lay something like this out in front of your bosses’ bosses and hear some form of “OK, let’s try it” in return.

OK. So. If you bought a ticket or a wristband, or maybe you told somebody about it at some point, or … well … let’s be honest: you weren’t part of the large chorus of people who almost instantly began picking apart the notion the second we tried to explain it … then THANK YOU. And THANK YOU. And THANK YOU. Thank you for being kind. Thank you for giving it a chance. Thank you you for being you. We’ll have a few more announcements soon regarding some things we have planned for the summer. For now, though, one more time: Thank you, Frederick. You’re pretty great.

Onward and upward.

The Thing Thanks You. And You. And Even You, Too. was last modified: June 13th, 2016 by Colin McGuire